The present invention relates generally to self-propelled railroad cars and more specifically to a self-propelled ballast spreading device.
The self-propelled apparatus for handling ballast on a railbed are well-known as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,309,712. This self-propelled device removes ballast from the roadbed, cleans it and redeposits it. The desirability to make the self-propelled ballast cleaning machine capable of on and off track work is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,995. This concept is also shown for ballast tampering machines including a fifth wheel connection as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,622. The prior art as exemplified by these three patents are directed specifically to self-propelled special purpose machines for operation on existing ballast within the track.
Although there are many types of self-propelled railroad vehicles which may be transported across the road, it is generally very difficult to position these railroad vehicles onto and off of the rail. Generally, these self-propelled rail vehicles may only be applied or removed from the track at special rail yards or need special rail crossings. Similarly, some have required the use of special equipment like cranes to raise and lower the rail vehicle for the removal or insertion of road wheels to the vehicle as well as to position the rail vehicle length along the track. This additional expense of equipment and inconvenience of mounting and dismounting has made these vehicles generally unacceptable. Thus, there is a need for a self-propelled rail vehicle which is capable of being readily positioned onto and off of a rail track so as to be transported across a road.
In laying new track or spreading a large amount of ballast, the prior art generally uses a gondola car full of ballast which must be transported by an engine or other railroad work vehicle. The gondola includes a dispensing opening or device in the bottom thereof so as to dispense ballast on the track as it moves therealong. For most new track locations versus rehabilitating old track, the transporting of gondola cars full of ballast to the remote or new site is inconvenient and sometimes impossible. The prior art solution to this problem has been to provide a special over land truck which is equipped with special railroad wheels such that it may be driven across the road to a remote railroad site and then driven onto the tracks. The special truck would then dispense its ballast along the tracks. Since the special trucks are relatively expensive, only a few of them are used on a job, and consequently, long delays are experienced in providing ballast at the remote site. Another prior art method is the use of standard trucks to dump or stock pile the ballast at the remote site along side the track. Equipment would then be needed to load the ballast onto rail cars to be transported to the track to be dispensed. This method is time consuming.
Thus, there exists a need for a self-propelled railroad car capable of being transported over land to a remote site and capable of receiving ballast material from overland vehicles so as to be continuously replenished at the remote site.